Our longarm group decided it was high time to get away from our worries and have some fun. We booked the same retreat house we’d been to before, Febuary Hill in Jonesborough, Tennessee. I did a post on this lovely place the last time we went, so you can see the gorgeous quilts and antiques – Febuary Hill. Each of us took a covid test before we came, only if our tests were negative were we allowed to be there. Luckily, all of us tested negative so we could relax. This time we arrived early on Friday, so we could shop first. I was good, I only bought two fat quarters. Coming to the retreat house, the crew said could sew in the studio while the rest of the house and bedrooms were being cleaned. Once I get to retreat, I change into pajamas, and I don’t want to put on real shoes or jeans until I am leaving days later. So when we got there, I dropped everything next to my sewing space and put on my pj’s. A hot minute later I had blocks on the design wall, ready to lose myself in the sewing and chatting.
I had an idea to use the rest of the red and blue blocks from the Safelight quilt project for a Quilt of Valor. Those are smaller, I usually do 60 x 72, maybe a touch larger with a border. This squares configuration left half triangles on the sides, and I didn’t like that look. I re-positioned the blocks on the design board into the mountain peak setting, so I could mix up the reds and blues.
I put that one together. I think I’ll add a border later, but I didn’t bring an appropriate fabric to do that on retreat. So, this one is done for the weekend.
I still had more, and I considered doing an all red with a blue border, but this blue didn’t go as well as I hoped it would.
I reset the blocks into the bargello, but this didn’t look right, so I took off the top row.
This will get borders at home and be given to Project Linus.
Several of the other ladies were doing One Block Wonder Panel quilts from that book – (available at my affiliate links C&T Publishing, and Amazon). You take seven panels, and set one aside. Stack the other six, and do a stack and whack thing into six triangles, moving around the panel to decide where to cut. Then make the hexies, and place around the remaining panel. Just look at their awesome work over the three days I was there. Here is Brenda’s lighthouse project.
This is Chryste’s Stonehenge project in progress.
Connie is doing an amazing forest with sunlight.
Back to the blue blocks, I had 12 left, just enough for a small quilt. I thought the diagonal stripe might work best.
I sewed those together quickly using the web method so the orientation was right on all the blocks and I didn’t have to think much.
The blue fabric worked well for this border, so I added one all around. This one will go to Project Linus as well.
By then time, it was bedtime. Quite a bit accomplished for one day! Anyway, I’ll show you what I did with the rest of my weekend next time. I hope to get at least two of these quilted by the end of the month so I’ll have some ‘out’ for April’s Stashbuster Check in.
Do you go on quilt retreats? What are you working on this week?
From My Carolina Home 
I love seeing one-block wonders 🙂
That was one day! I thought you were showing the whole retreat. Sewing in pjs must go faster. Have to try that.
Sewing in PJ’s…I love it! My excuse for not going to the garage to sew some days is I am still in PJ’s at lunch time. LOLOL…..Haven’t been to a retreat in quite a long time, maybe 4 or 5 years. You certainly got a lot done. Today I am delivering 15 BANKER boxes full of fabric to a Mennonite Church. All donated when a friend passed away last month. None of it quilting fabric, and 3 BOXES of thread. I’m not counting it in or out, just passing through! 🙂
I have never been to a quilt retreat. I can tell you all enjoyed it and got a lot done! Wow! This week, I am prewashing fabric for the Amanda Murphy Heart Panel and will get some time with her heart quilting templates.
My Scrap Happy quilt group is having an “in house “Retreat. We use our normal meeting place, a church Fellowship Hall which is huge. We start on a Wednesday or Thursday at 9 in the morning and sew until 4:30 or so. Everyone goes home and leaves their machines set up and come back to sew again the next day. We plan lunches and little demos and just sew to our hearts content. We haven’t done this for 2 years so it is highly anticipated this year.
I’m impressed — not only by how much you accomplished in one day but also how you only purchased a couple of fat quarters! That’s willpower. I can’t go to a certain Jonesborough quilt shop without blowing my fabric budget for months! The retreat sounds like a lot of fun.
Wow, Wow, Wow – the lighthouse, Stonehenge, and forest quilts were amaaaaaazing! Pj’s and quilting – the best combination 🙂
That was a very busy and productive day….it must be the pajamas! 😉
At retreat, I’m usually in sweats or lounging pants & Tees, but several of my friends are in pjs. Glad you got away & looks like you got alot done. The panel tops all look interesting.
what a fun time.
I have never been to a sewing retreat.
I do not travel well. I used to, yeah, but now it is always something.
Anyway, thank you for sharing this beautiful adventure and your productivity
Such FUN! I’m looking forward to more photos soon!
Looks like you had a great time away, just the thing to re charge your batteries with a fun weekend. Thise one blick wonders are amazing such creativity fro these ladies.
Your last blue quilt is so lovely, but Stonehenge, another beauty, and a retreat, grand way in pj’s to not have to get dressed smartly every day ( not to say your pajamas are not as smart as any other clothes!!) down here too many Covid cases in our small town for me to go anywhere!! Not even the supermarket, all done online now.
It sounds like so much fun!! You have made some great tops. I have not been on a retreat in several years. Mostly because we had to change to a different location. Hugs,
Beautiful quilts!
First of all, I absolutely love that the first thing you did was put on your PJs and plan to leave them on till you leave! Love the quilt and the wonderful colors and pattern and the others you showed are lovely too.
Carole,
Last night I made the artichoke/pasta recipe using hot sausage . It was wonderful!! Thanks for sharing.
WOW!! I’m speechless. Everything is gorgeous. Sounds like you had a good time; but I wouldn’t want to be in jammies sewing. Comfy cloths for sure and then maybe a night out? Lots of productivity. Been spending some time in SC of late. Not sure if your NC or SC, but you may have been to the place I just blogged about?
I love all the ways you use the same block. I really like the first one with alternating blue and red rows. Sounds like an awesome retreat!
This looks like a fabulous time! I’m interested to know what you use for your design board? Is it a flannel covered board?
So inspirational. I picked up a couple panels at sewing for the kids meeting and didn’t know how to finish them (make them big enough for a bed) and this give me some great ideas. Thanks! Hope you all had a fabulous time.
you did well getting a couple of tops together…………..I checked out the link to February House……..OMG it is gorgeous………..I want to go on retreat there with you…………..